News Corp to call entertainment company 21st Century Fox

April 16 (Reuters) - News Corp said on Tuesday itwill call its newly independent entertainment company 21stCentury Fox after the media conglomerate splits later this year.

The name 21st Century Fox - playing off the company's filmstudio 20th Century Fox - replaces the previously announcedname, Fox Group.

Rupert Murdoch, who will serve as chairman and CEO of thenew company said in a statement that "21st Century Fox is a namethat draws upon the rich creative heritage of our film studio,while also speaking to the innovation and dynamism that defineall of our global media and entertainment businesses and willguide us into the future."

News Corp announced in June 2012 it would separate itspublishing assets from its faster growing entertainmentdivision.

21st Century Fox will include the film studio, the FoxNetwork and equity interests such as British pay-TV companyBSkyB.

The publishing company will retain the News Corp name andwill operate newspapers like The Wall Street Journal and theTimes of London, book publisher HarperCollins, Australian pay-TVunit, and its fledging education division Amplify.